Rough translation from the original French:

Our people presses, will quickly: you can download all that is more legally at a ridiculous price (around 6 euros at the time of writing), one of the most exciting albums of the Year. It comes from New Jersey, and the four evildoers who have concocted name Robert James Pashman (keyboards and vocals), Pat Kliesch (guitars and vocals), Rob Durham (drums) and George Dobbs (vocals and keyboards). Third Degree was founded in 1990 and had published an album in 1996 ( "Human interest story"), then had separated because he found its audience. Ten years later they returned canopy covered and what ...

Let us be clear: the followers of pieces of 20 minutes can pass their way, Third Degree did not like it in stores. Ten songs for 47 minutes of music is concise, collected and dense. "Narrow caster" will also lose their unconditional exclusive to Latin 70s, as their music is modern. If we must look for influences, one must be able to find RUSH by scratching a little, but there a song Donald Fagen ( "It works" or "The last gap"). For the rest, hunting is lean ... If we must search for relationship, THIRD DEGREE belongs to the glorious school ECHOLYN "multiple vocal parts and tangled (had it not once close ECHOLYN of GENTLE GIANT in this regard ?), Power density and music, rhythmic complexity.

The production is' American ', ie impeccable precision and clarity. The singer George Dobbs is praiseworthy: he knows "release the dogs" in the way of a metal singer on "Apophenia" or "Free for All", but it is equally at ease in times of acoustic delicacy (“Young Once”, "Scenery") and knows adjust its interpretation to each song, which is very rare. The diversity of influences makes "Narrow caster" unpredictable, even after several listenings. The musical structures themselves are quite diverse. Sometimes on "stacks" of vocals, guitar etc. Of plus and more complex (the title track). Sometimes it starts electro, it continues with a funky bass to Jamiroquai, before a final metal unexpected ("The proverbial banana peel”). "The last Gasp" a false air of D. Fagen, before leaving in a final radically (and beautifully) symphony. "Young Once" not hesitate, after a sound start with samples of strings, to launch a solo guitar grunge almost before the synths not seized power in the second half of the song. "It Works" and "Scenery" impose a "groove" bravo-to-beater almost dancing. "Is this the prog? "Certainly, yes, although it is difficult to explain exactly why. It is the complexity of rhythmic structures, with unexpected harmonies (these are those keyboards that recall the most Echolyn), the guitar riffs almost systematically shifted: Third Degree experimenting continuously. The end pieces are revealing in this respect, always clear (not "fade out"), brutal and inattendueLe title Narrow caster ", which ironically is opposed to" Broadcast "shows enough that the group claims its marginal status musically speaking.

Icing on the cake, the words speak intelligently of interesting topics, political (religious fanaticism on "cautionary tale", the disturbing transformation of American values with "Free for All", with paranoia "Apophenia"), or existential (disillusionment the existence of "Young Once”, the difficulties of finding meaning to life -" You and your place in this world, you have to live with that forever "to" Live with this forever "). Third degree has a lucid speech, questioning, and rich.

So training that joined the cohort of Echolyn, Izz, Parmenter, ... working for the creation of a progressive music of modern fusion. Like all groups that their ashes reborn after ten or more years of hibernation, THIRD DEGREE brimming with energy and enthusiasm, and it means. The successor of "Narrow caster is already in preparation: yay. P.a.

November 2008